The Best White Uniform Ever

“There’s sure a lot of nurses here today…” one father commented as he walked his two small sons into school that morning.
“Why are all the doctors here?” curious and nervous children questioned.

“I guess I’ll have to go on the loudspeaker and announce that there are no shots today,” the school principal told me with a smile, “they’ve seen you all walking around and want to know why the doctors are here and they’re worried they have to get shots.”…

I laughed a little at her comment. Apparently, our white lab coats were creating a bit of a stir amongst the elementary school children that morning. My fellow nursing classamates and I were only there to help out with the health screening going on that day, but to the small sets of eyes looking up at us, our appearances threatened more than that.

It’s not the first time my white nursing lab coat has had people thinking I’m a doctor… my first day of clinicals in the hospital I remember walking into a patient’s room and the elderly man and his wife asking me if I was the doctor. “Oh, no,” I was a little surprised and amused. “I’m just a student nurse!”

A uniform. It’s something that you wear on the outside that really says very little about who you are inside. And yet, I’ve found that the uniform I wear does influence the way I act… When I go to the grocery store after clinicals, I’m keenly aware of my very-white, obvious appearance and the many admonishings from nursing faculty (about properly "representing the medical profession") roll about in my mind… As I interact with my patients, these thoughts go beyond just what people will think of the medical profession… my school’s name is on my uniform too. Even when I take my nametag off, there is still the large “Southern Adventist University School of Nursing” badge sewn on my front coat pocket. People see it and ask about the school. Really though, it goes beyond just representing Southern Adventist University… SAU is a Christian school, so I’m representing Christ when I wear that name around…

Sometimes I don’t feel like a nurse; I feel like a very out-of-place person in such a bright white uniform. People have high expectations of Southern’s nursing program. The school of nursing has high expectations of their students. And though I love nursing, I often feel very unqualified to bear the title I soon will bear … (RN--Registered Nurse, someone who has gone through at least two years of nursing school, graduated, survived nursing boards, and is someone who you can walk up to at church or home, ask any medical question you wish to, and expect they'll have the answer ;) )

When you put on a uniform, sometimes your behavior has to change. Some behaviors just don’t go with wearing that uniform. For example, I like climbing trees, but I would never climb them in my white uniform...

Christ has covered me with a white uniform too. His perfect robe of righteousness. It makes me look better than I really am. It's a whole new identity. Sometimes people think I’m someone I’m really not, cause they see Him, not my inadequacies. It influences the way I act. Sometimes I don’t feel righteous, but I’m still covered by Him. Sometimes I don’t feel very qualified to bear the title I bear—Christian, a follower of Jesus. Sometimes there’s behaviors in my life that must change. Sometimes even apparently “good” things just don’t belong in a Christian life… When I say I’m a Christian, people have high expectations. Do they find Who they're looking for?

See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you...
~Zech. 3:4

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.
They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy...

Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give Him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and His bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

~Rev. 3:4 & 19:8